Why Plank is better than Crunches ??

No More Crunches !!!

 Biler my clients asked me macam mane nak flat kan perut, 

"PLANK"

This is the reason why I selalu teach my client to do more plank than crunches or sit ups...

An article from: http://www.notyouraveragefitnesstips.com/six-pack-abs/how-to-get-washboard-abs-plank-exercises-no-more-crunches

Before I delve into specifics about planks, I think it’s important to discuss the drawbacks of crunches. The first thing to note is that if you want to get washboard abs, you can’t spot reduce belly fat by performing crunches or any other exercise. You have to lose enough body fat through high intensity exercising and a strong diet before you have any chance of seeing your abs. More importantly, in my opinion, crunches don’t really qualify as an effective abdominal exercise. Abs are part of core muscles that are meant to stabilize your body and keep your spine straight. Crunches involve the exact opposite movement, whereby you flex your spine and “crunch” at your back’s weakest point. This puts more strain on your lower back and your posture suffers. Situps solve half the problem since you should be keeping your back straight when performing them. 

However, situps really don’t incorporate abdominal muscles; they utilize lower back muscles. Once again, you’ll walk away with lower back pain and poor posture. If you’re still not convinced, think of the age old advice of how to lift a heavy object. Bend at the knees and use your legs. If you bent straight over, you would likely strain your back. Why Do Planks For Abs? Plank exercises are a great way to work your abdominals as well as your entire core. By forcing your body to stabilize itself in one position, planks work both your abdominal muscles as well as your back muscles. A significant advantage of planks in terms of developing better looking abs is that they work the transverse abdominus (that holds in the rectus abdominus), while crunches focus on the rectus abdominus alone. What will happen with crunches alone (aside from back pain) is that your abs will stick out when viewed from the side. Plank Exercises There are a number of different plank exercises that you can perform. The best starting point is the standard plank. You basically get in a pushup position but instead of resting on your hands, you rest on your forearms. You hold your back completely straight while trying to hold your abdominals in. While it may sound easy, the longer you try to perform a plank, the harder it will be. You might start with 30 second sets and work your way up to 2-3 minutes.